Review ~ HUSHED by Kelley York

He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from
what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect
her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when
hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there,
waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer
without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more
Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders
Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn
him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's
death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

So. Here is what I wish I could do right now. I wish I could say "Stop reading this review. Do yourself a favor, go buy HUSHED". Seriously. That's how much I loved this book, I don't even care if you read my review, so long as you buy it. This book seriously kicked my butt and rocked my world.

HUSHED opens up with a very "Dexter-ish" vibe, with main character Archer taking vengeance on the wicked. And yes, as indicated in the synopsis, Archer is a murderer. But, he's a good murderer, hence the Dexter reference. I was slightly hesitant to read a book from the POV of someone as clearly troubled as Archer is, but within the first few pages, I was completely on board with the premise of HUSHED.

I try not to summarize books in my reviews, I like to leave the story up to the reader to discover. But I do want to talk about what I loved about HUSHED. Starting with the characters. I don't know if I've ever come across a more fragile, socially awkward, but ultimately redeemable character than Archer. This poor guy has led a short life of emotional damage, manipulation and desertion. It's clearly no wonder Archer is as disturbed as he is. Especially when it comes to Vivian.

Oh, how I learned to despise that girl. Vivian is a master manipulator, user, and controlling freak. I literally wanted to reach into my Kindle and hurt her. The things she says and does to Archer makes my skin crawl and sets my teeth on edge. She was cruel and evil. Except...she actually, when I think about it, isn't evil. Yes, she does despicable things. But when you learn her background, you can understand what drives poor Viv over the edge.

Now for my favorite character, Evan. Evan is pure joy, acceptance, understanding and conscience. The light that Evan brings into Archer's life gave me chills. (To get a better feel for Evan, read the quote I shared below.) Evan is a much more understanding than I could ever be, because if that kind of crazy showed up on my doorstep, I would be running for the hills without looking back. He is one of the kindest, and adorable, characters I've read in a long time.

Okay, for the part about HUSHED (besides the awesome characters) that really blew me away, the relationship between Archer and Evan. The two have a clear connection/attraction when they meet, but it's never this huge deal. Archer, who has only been in love with Vivian, never has this "Oh my god, I'm falling for another guy! Am I gay? Oh no, I'm so confused!!" moment. Their relationship does not come down to gender. It comes down to the person. The same gender aspect of the relationship is almost an afterthought. And Archer never feels shame about his attraction and developing relationship with Evan.

For me, HUSHED is less about the insane scenario that plays out between Archer and Vivian, and more about love and how finding the right person can inspire one to become a better human being. It's about faith in the one you love, and redemption.

HUSHED is a phenomenal book. Go get it. Now.

5 Smooches

I want to marry this book!



Favorite Quote ~

"This was different. Evan was different. The light didn't wrap around him like it did Vivian. He 
 dominated the place it wanted to occupy, and it crowded against the outline of him. Envious of his 
 brightness."

Paperback, 260 pages

Expected publication: December 6th 2011 by Entangled Publishing

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